On our last trip to Bangkok, Arvind relished a lot on coconut ice cream. It’s very well known out there. From an elegant restaurant to a tiny shop on the street, from roadside stand to the food court in the shopping mall, its everywhere in Bangkok and you just can’t miss it. It’s served in a simple white bowl with no fancy topping. At times, they would just drizzle some buttery coconut milk on top and that’s it, plain and humble. Yes, I tasted it and I liked it! The texture was very light and airy. It taste coconut-y of course but was not excessively sweet. I wanted to recreate a similar texture with just a hint of vanilla in it.
Did you know that Vanilla was once considered as an aphrodisiac and it was reserved only for royalty. Thank God, it’s not the case anymore! Since this ice cream had only one flavor profile, I wanted it to be rich and pure and that is why I used vanilla beans instead of the extract. I am sure pure vanilla extract would work as well. This time I didn’t used condensed milk as I was worried that it might overpower the subtle sweetness of the coconut milk. Mascarpone, on the other hand, is more mild and creamy. The combination resulted in a smooth silky, not too dense, not too sweet, flavorful ice cream. Just what I was looking for.
Sometime less is more and Arvind kept reminding me the same when I asked if I could add some lemon zest for tang! He was watching me or should I say monitoring the ice cream, making sure I don’t add anything extra. He wanted a plain and simple, coconut vanilla ice cream. Period. I sprinkled some pan roasted coconut flakes on top while serving, which added a lovely crunchy bite.
This could be one of those ice creams that I actually liked and cared for a couple of more scoops.
